Academic Faith: What to Expect When Studying Religion in College

Academic Faith: What to Expect When Studying Religion in College
by,  Charles W. Christian

Introduction: I Am NOT in Sunday School Anymore

I remember sitting there asking myself: “Is this professor attacking the things that have become most precious to me?”  It was my first week in an introductory course, “Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”  It was not a Nazarene school, but a school in an affiliated group, although the professor made no avert Christian claims and certainly had no Evangelical leanings.  In fact, at times he seemed almost combative in regard to the approach to faith and Scriptures I had been immersed in through my Sunday School upbringing.  Because the professor’s Ph.D. was in Christian history, much of the course focus was upon introducing students to biblical interpretation and to the history of the Christian faith.  However, the terms introduced and the approach of the professor put me on the defensive, since this was not the approach to the Christian faith I had been exposed to in small Christian congregation.     

I eventually received an “A” in the course, and I kept in closer contact with this particular professor than I would with any other in my undergraduate experience.  I grew to respect him, even though he and I disagreed on virtually every key matter of theology and biblical interpretation.  Yet, he seemed to leave room for disagreement and frankly seemed to be pleased that a student in a large introductory course of this sort would spend extra time “defending” a point of view at all.  This course was my introduction to studying the Bible and the Christian faith academically, and it challenged and even attacked nearly everything I held dear about my faith.  The professor did teach me many things, and thankfully he did not seem disagreements.  I found myself even more devoted to my faith despite after the course, despite sometimes feeling that my faith was being attacked in the course.  The truth is that he was not attacking me or my faith.  He was exposing me to terms and perspectives both in and out of my own faith that were to give me a bigger picture than I had ever had.  Though I would not expect a person of faith in a private Christian university strongly tied to a denomination to be as skeptical as my first year religion professor (the university I attended was Christian in name only with no direct faith ties touted in their undergraduate religion programs), I have come to discover that for any first year student of the formal study of religion, regardless of the faith environment of the university, key adjustments have to be made.

 What Goes Around. . .

                                                                       
My nearly 20 years of vocational ministry has also included nearly 14 years of adjunct teaching in college, university, and even seminary settings.  Much of my adjunct teaching with undergraduate students has been introducing first year students to the basics of the Christian faith.  I relish these opportunities not only because of the chance to introduce students to the academic aspects of learning about their faith, but also because of the pastoral opportunities to guide students and parents through the journey of examining the Christian faith in a different way than they may be accustomed to. 

Often as I work with first year students, either as an adjunct professor or as a pastor discussing their academic journey with them, I try to recall that feeling of being overwhelmed I had when looking at the Christian faith academically for the first time.  Unlike my first religion professor, I do have strong traditional faith claims in my own life, and I make no secret of my devotion to Jesus Christ and to traditional Christianity.  Like my first religion professor, though, I find myself challenging many presuppositions of first year students – including devoted Nazarene young men and women – as we explore the Bible and the Christian faith in ways they are not accustomed to in their church and Sunday school experiences.   

Like many pastors, I have fielded concerns and even complaints from parents and students regarding religious studies courses from undergraduate Christian colleges, including (and most often, given that I am a Nazarene pastor) Nazarene colleges.  The conversation usually includes phrases like, “What are they [meaning university religion professors] teaching our kids?”  Or, “Did you know that my child came home and said that Moses really didn’t write Deuteronomy?”  Or even, “Do we really believe this?”

Like my first religion professor, I relish the idea of expanding the thinking of my students.  But as a Christian pastor, my hope is that students who are challenged in their views are also at the same time compelled to draw closer to the mysterious and loving God who is revealed through Jesus Christ.  For students, parents, pastors, and professors, the balance needed to adequately complete an academic course of study of the Bible, theology, or Christian history, is often hard to come by.  Since most academic theories regarding the structure of the Bible or the development of the Christian faith are not covered in detail in most churches, it is not surprising that initial exposure to these “new” things – which, in the realm of academics are not really all that new – can create tension and even shock among faithful church members and their students. 

Christian parents who are investing tremendous sums of money in the education of their children want to feel confident that their children are getting a well-rounded education that is also theologically sound.  However, since most parents are not trained biblical scholars or theologians, the language and theories that the discipline of religious studies introduce to their children may be foreign.  It is the same dynamic that occurs when students whose parents are not lawyers or doctors are introduced to new theoretical concepts in the fields of law or medicine.  However, among Christian students and parents, there is often a strong familiarity with the Bible that has been gained through a lifetime of attending Bible studies and serving God.  This can make the newness of the academic study of Christianity seem threatening. 

As a Christian, a pastor, a trained academic theologian, and a parent, I want the children under my care (including my own children as they grow) to be open to hearing voices other than my own and to be unafraid when being introduced to ideas that challenge their own perspectives.  Having said that, it is also important to me that my children and the children whom I pastor are guided as gently as possible through times of introduction to new ideas – especially to ideas that may effect their faith – by teachers (like my own first religion teacher) who are not only well trained but are also thoughtful and even, dare I say, pastoral.

So, as we send our growing children off to encounter the challenge living out their faith while learning about their faith in new ways, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Recognize that academic theology has its own language.  Like every profession, whether it be library sciences or plumbing, the academic study of the Bible and of theology involves a unique language.  And although this language sometimes trickles into church life (usually from pastors fresh from seminary), it is a specialized language with specific meanings that are often different from popular meanings.  Terms like “humanism”, “myth”, and “biblical criticism”, for instance, have very different meanings in formal academic theology than they do in popular perception.  When professors and their students use these terms, parents and church leaders often panic.  However, closer examination of terms like these can calm fears quickly.  Unfortunately, students who are exposed to these kinds of terms for the first time use them in much the same way a three year old might use a chainsaw!  Also, there are professors who use the shock value of such terms to keep students engaged, often without helping the students “unpack” and place into proper context the new terms and concepts they are learning.  Parents and other concerned church members can save themselves some anxiety by investing in a pocket dictionary of theological terms, or better yet, by finding a used copy of textbooks and materials utilized in the courses.  As with any discipline, familiarizing ourselves with the language can alleviate fears. 

2. Recognize that academic studies in religion have a slightly different (yet related) agenda than other approaches to the Bible.  Academic study of theology is designed to introduce students to a specific language and to specific tools that will assist them in evaluating not only their own faith, but also interpretations of the Christian faith throughout history.  Whereas in church life our desire is to specifically guide individuals into the life of the Church, in the classroom students are asked to compare a wide stream of Christian (and non-Christian) views in regard to the Bible, theology, and ethics.  In most denominational schools (like those in the Church of the Nazarene), there are specific doctrinal approaches that inform the overall teaching in the religion departments. However, the scope and sheer volume of materials presented go beyond the scope and mission of most Sunday Schools, sermons, or small groups.  However, in most cases it is not unreasonable to expect denominational schools like those in the Church of the Nazarene to better equip the men and women who pass through their doors to be better informed and equipped church members, whether or not they are there to train for vocational ministry.  In this way, then, we see that denominational religious studies departments can (and in most cases should) emphasize a personal transformational element in the context of religious studies, since, as the old saying goes, theology is to be the “handmaiden [servant] of the Church.”  Expecting a denominational school to help students develop a love for the church, its traditions, its Scripture, and its mission in the world is a reasonable expectation.  It is also reasonable for religious studies departments to expect the freedom to teach in ways that are beyond the scope of a local church, Bible study, or Sunday school.  With this kind of mutual respect, the local church and its affiliated programs of higher education can develop a partnership that benefits the church, the university, the student, and the mission of Christ in the world.

3. Recognize that challenges and changes in regard to faith are normal and even healthy.  College is a time of great transitions – among the greatest transitional periods in all of life.  So, it is normal for university students to examine and re-examine the “faith handed down” to them by their family and church.  It is easy to blame university professors – especially religion professors – for faith struggles that are a normal part of a student’s development.  However, classroom interactions about the Bible and faith are often just a part – even a small part – of a student’s adjustment process in a university environment.  Greater personal freedom,  interaction with a wider range of peers, along with more intense exposure to subjects ranging from art to science to political ideologies, can contribute to changing interpretations of their Christian faith.  While it is true that on many Christian campuses there are religion professors or other Christian leaders who  “fan the flames” in regard to a deeper examination of Christianity, there are usually more factors than a Bible course that are contributing to questions of faith.  Often it is when students are allowed to process all of these factors together that the healthiest kinds of growth and communication take place, and parents and local churches can play a supportive and instructional role in this process. 

Handling Concerns in a Christian College Setting

Even if we do come to a realization that a university professor's role in Christian formation is different, though related, to the roles of pastors, Sunday School teachers, and parents, there are still instances when what is being taught in a denominational school can and should be questioned.  Through the years I have observed (and even experienced from the teaching end) that when it comes to confronting serious questions regarding course content, church leaders and members often neglect basic Christian principles in doing so.  Biblical models of handling conflict like those spelled out by Jesus in Matthew 18 are often ignored when it comes to confronting classroom concerns.  This is probably because it is difficult to know where to begin when one has an issue with a professor.  Parents and even pastors may be intimidated by the degrees or name recognition of a professor, and the fear that results from this intimidation can cause emotions to run high.  Too often, the university president or a university trustee member (often a district superintendent or other church leader) is immediately contacted, and this person may not be in the best position to handle the issue directly or with adequate information. 

So, when addressing an academic concern, in the spirit of Matthew 18, the following procedure is recommended:

1. Talk to the professor directly.  This seems simple, yet it is often neglected.  I can recall times when I have heard about student questions or concerns from administrators who are often embarrassed that they are the ones having to bring the concerns to me. If high ranking administrators (trustees, presidents, etc.) have no firsthand knowledge of the incident being reported to them, it becomes difficult for them to make the best informed decisions.  If the professor is consulted first, he or she can at least try and explain the approach taken and assist the student or parent in addressing the solution.  Unfortunately, the matter is not always resolved at this level, and so another step is needed.

2. The department chair or academic dean.  Department chairs and academic deans usually have the most direct connection with what is happening academically in the departments they oversee.  Most often they are the ones who have some part (usually a large part) in the curriculum and textbook approval process, and it is likely that they were even part of the interview and hiring process of the professor in question.  If a satisfactory solution is not reached by confronting the professor one on one, the academic leadership of the department is the next best step, since they are charged with balancing the academic integrity of the university with the connection to the denomination and to students themselves. 

3. A Provost or Academic Vice-President.  These officials often report directly to the president and trustees of the university regarding all academic matters from accreditation to hiring to department structure.  The provost, for example, is usually the “chief academic officer” of a university.  Most often a concerned parent or church leader will not have to venture beyond a department chair or dean, but if needed, these officials can often either give a clear explanation or implement necessary changes needed in any approach to the curriculum or subject matter being taught.

4. President and Trustees.  As a last resort, a meaningful conversation with the president and/or a member of the trustees of a university can be scheduled.  Again, these should be rare if the other procedures are followed, and a meeting with one or more of these officials should involve a detailed outline of conversations and responses from professors, departments chairs, deans, and any other academic officials.  In smaller Christian universities like those in the Church of the Nazarene, presidents and other senior administrators of the university pride themselves on accessibility to students and parents, but this does not mean that proper communication procedures should be overlooked, especially if the goal of such questions involves clarifying approaches to matters of Christian faith.

Conclusion

Looking back, that first religion professor did me a great service.  He did not convince me to abandon my faith, nor was he trying to.  He did challenge many of my presuppositions and was used by God to help change some of the approaches that I now see were unhealthy, ill-informed, or short-sighted.  He also gave me more zeal to take seriously the core convictions of my faith, partly because I knew that I would actually have to defend what I believe at times with more than just hearsay from Sunday School teachers, pastors, or parents.  Years later, when I was in my first pastorate, I remember a visit with this same former professor in which he told me that he remembered me in his courses and remembered feeling like he had to be thoroughly prepared before coming to class, since I and a few other committed believers would likely challenge him, and he did not want to be unprepared!  This was a great compliment and an encouraging affirmation in my own faith.  Education is not simply indoctrination, and I as a pastor and as a parent do not expect Christian professors to simply parrot my way of thinking about the Bible and Christian theology to students from my congregation.  As a part-time professor, I am becoming more and more comfortable with my role of challenging students to question long held conceptions about matters of faith, even though I desire for them to be well-equipped to be Christian leaders – regardless of their vocational calling – for their generation.  If we can properly dialogue about such matters and assist one another in the calling God has given us in the congregation and in the classroom, we can see a healthier relationship between the church and the academy.  Doing this will help us train students who can really make a difference in the church and in the world.